Hoop-and-stick toy

ABSTRACT

A hoop-and-stick toy wherein the hoop has two peripheral, upstanding rims at both edges and the stick has a cylindrical head with two relatively wide grooves for mating with the rims, giving maximum guidance and control of the hoop and yet allowing maximum flexibility in the use of the toy.

United States Patent 1 Gelis HOOP-AND-STICK TOY [76] Inventor: AvionPaul Lewis Gelis, 638 Hailey Avenue, Slidell, La. 70458 [22] Filed:April 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,640

[52] US. Cl ..46/220 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/02 [58] Field of Search..46/l14, 205, 220

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,426 4/1934 Mills..46/220 2,811,812 11/1957 I Bishop ..46/22O Feb. 13, 1973 2/1970 Klimko..46/220 10/1970 Pooled... ..46/220 Primary Examiner-Louis G. ManceneAssistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting AttorneyC. Emmett Pugh et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A hoop-and-stick toy wherein the hoop has two peripheral,upstanding rims at both edges and the stick has a cylindrical head withtwo relatively wide grooves for mating with the rims, giving maximumguidance and control of the hoop and yet allowing maximum flexibility inthe use of the toy.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures HOOP-AND-STICK TOY BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION of various diameters, the most common being two to 3- feet indiameter.

The hoops themselves roll along the ground with ease and will stay in anupright position with a minimum of forward motion which is usuallyimparted to it by tangentially tappingor pushing the hoop in thedirection in which it is desired to move the hoop. It is the practicefor children to roll these hoops along the ground utilizing a stick orthe like for applying impulse energy to the hoop at intermittentintervals to keep it rolling. The child runs along beside the hoop andin this way is well exercised.

The usual method for imparting this motion or impulse energy has been touse a short stick and to tap the hoop on the rear side of the hoop witha forward and upward motion. Depending upon which angle the stick madecontact with the edge of the hoop would determine the direction intowhich the hoop would then proceed. This method takes some degree ofpractice in order to command any type of control over the hoop.Moreover, after this feat is mastered, to maintain the childs intereststill further control over the hoop should be offered as a furtheractivity in rolling the hoop.

The use of the hoop as a rolling member along the ground is still apopular type of play for children, but in recent years has been limitedlargely as a consequence of crowded conditions in cities and the greatlyincreased number of automobiles. Serious accidents can occur if the hoopescapes from a child and rolls into the street. In addition, employingthe hoop as a rolling object and attempting to control it with a simplestick or the like does not provide a reliable degree of control over thehoop and thus the various activities that can be carried on with thehoop are somewhat limited.

In order to provide control over the hoop, some recent stick-and-hooptoys have used guide elements which secure the end of the stick to thehoop. Some examples of this approach are the patents to Hanson (U.S.Pat. No. 2,952,095) and Gunset (U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,761). However, forvarious reasons they have not proved commercially successful. In somecases the guide does not properly engage the hoop and consequently doesnot adequately control it in motion. In other cases the hoop is fullyengaged but the guide must be precisely oriented and held relative tothe hoop in order to avoid binding. This detracts from the practicalityof the guide in the hands of relatively young people who cannot beexpected to maintain the proper relationship between guide and hoop atall times. In still other cases excessive friction between the guide andthe hoop prevents free rolling of the hoop and thereby reduces the valueof the guide.

The present invention is primarily concerned with overcoming these priorart problems and includes a handling stick that not only imparts themotion required to keep the hoop rolling in a forward direction but alsooffers substantial control through the design of the stick and itspositive integration and mating with the particular hoop used in thepresent invention. One of the basic advantages of the present inventionis that it allows the least experienced hoopster to perform greaterfeats with the hoop in comparison to the stickand-hoop toys of the priorart.

Thus a principal object of the present invention is the provision of ahoop-rolling stick which positively but only generally engages the hoopfor adequate guidance and control. The stick of the present inventionengages the hoop at its edges and along the sides of its edges. The hoopis thereby adequately controlled for forward movement and also againstlateral shifting. Moreover, the use of a hoop-rolling stick and hoop ofthis general character, the former engaging the hoop as it does bothalong the peripheral edges and at its sides, renders it possible toeasily steer the hoop in either sideward direction.

An important feature of the invention is the use of two peripheral,upstanding rims on the hoop and two relatively wide grooves generallyengaging the rims ofthe hoop, as will be more fully brought out in thedescription below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall, perspective viewshowing the hoop-and-stick toy of the present invention in matingrelationship.

FIG. 2 is a downward, close-up view of the handling stick in contactwith the hoop.

FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view of the handling stick of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a top, overhead view of the hoop-and-stick toy in matingrelationship, further showing the movement of the handling stick (notelateral arrows) to produce directional changes in the hoop (shown inphantom lines).

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 of thedrawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes acircular hoop 1 having peripheral edge rims 6, 7 and a handling stick 2having a control head 3 with grooves or notches 4, 5.

The normal method by which the hoop 1 is impelled to move in a forwardrolling direction is to make contact with the hoop l at the lower (asshown) or upper rear of the hoop with an upward or forward striking blowutilizing the stick 2. The stick 2 imparts impulse energy to the hoop I,causing it to move in a forward direction. The method and structure bywhich the contact is made, which is at the heart of the presentinvention, is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stick head 3 isnotched for engagement with the runners or rims 6, 7 on the hoop I. Inparticular, the hoop rim 6 loosely or generally fits in the notch 4 ofthe notch head 3, while the hoop rim 7 fits within notch 5.

It will be noted that the stick head 3 is a circular body which has beennotched to about one-third of its depth in two symetrically disposedlocations. The width of these notches 4, will be dependent upon thewidth of the rims 6, 7 of the hoop 1. However, the rims 6, 7 of the hoop1 should fit only very loosely in the notches 4, 5, with the width ofthe latter being substantially greater than the former, a proportion ofthe order of six-to-one having been found to be particularlysatisfactory. The bridging element 8 remaining between the notches 4, 5should be wide enough so as to impart the desired force to the sides ofthe rims 6 and 7.

The stick head 3 is attached to the stick 2 by countersinking a portion2' of the stick 2 into the stick head 3, as indicated in phantom linesin FIG. 3. The handling stick 2, which can be made of wood or plasticfor example, is generally similar in structure and size to the standardcroquet mallot.

FIG. 4 illustrates in solid lines a straight on blow with the stick 2 tothe hoop 1. Movement of stick 2 to either the right (arrow 9) or left(arrow of the straight-on will cause the hoop l to move to the right(phantom hoop 1') or to the left (phantom hoop 1"). These smallmovements are exerted by using the stick head 3 against the rims orrunners 6 and 7.

The notches 4, 5 in the stick head 3 will allow a much less experiencedchild to readily guide the hoop either to the right or left as he shoulddesire.

It should be noted that although the stick head 3 is designed to matewith the rims or runners 6 and 7 of the hoop 1 for control thereof, whencontrol is not paramount, it can also be used in the normal fashion ofsimply striking the hoop from the rear with an upward or forward strike,thereby imparting a strong tangential force to the hoop 1 causing it tomove forward. This regular type strike can be imparted by using the ends1 1 of the stick head 3 in a hammer like fashion.

Should a child desire to simply run behind the hoop l and hold the stickhead 3 against the rims 6, 7 of the hoop 1, he can guide it readily downthe street. The

, gyroscopic properties of the hoop 1 will tend to keep it upright andsince it fits loosely within the notches 4, 5 of the stick head 3, therewill be very little friction at this point. Thus, by simply nudging thehoop ll along, a child can achieve both forward motion and a greatdegree of control upon the direction in which the hoop 1 will roll.Moreover, in as much as the hoop is maintained within the control of thechild, there is less possibility of it escaping from his control, andthus the device is relatively safe notwithstanding crowded trafficconditions.

The material of the handling stick 2 is preferably resilient in natureand may be made out of two individual dowels of wood or plastic ofsuitably resiliency so that the knocks that it will suffer in propellingthe hoop 1 forward will not cause a fracture to the material. Theattachment of the stick head 3 to the stick handle2 should of course beof sufficient mechanical stability that it should withstand thedestructive genius of a small boy. The hoop 1 should be of a hard,durable material'such as alight weight alloy metal or plastic.

Because the dimensional relationship between the rims 6, 7 and grooves4, 5 are very important to the present invention, exemplary dimensions,which have been found particularly satisfactory, will be given. With therims 6, 7 being an eighth of an inch thick and separated from each otherby 1% inches and projecting up from the body of the hoop l by "if; of aninch, the grooves 4, 5 are three-quarters of an inch wide and A inchdeep and are separated by the bridging element by a distance offive-eights of an inch. The side faces of the cylindrical stick head 3can be a circle having a 1 inch diameter.

Such dimensions result in there being a six-to-one ratio between thewidth of the grooves 4, 5 and the thickness of the rims 6, 7. Also, inproducing the changes indirection as discussed with reference to FIG. 4and with the separation between respective side edges of the grooves 4,5 being equal to the separation between the rims 6 and 7, both rims 6and 7 are acted upon by the respective side edges of the grooves 4, 5 inmaking and controling those changes in direction. These relationshipsare very important in producing the high degree of control and yetmaintaining the maximum flexibility or freedom of movement which isachieved by the present invention.

Another important dimensional relationship between the hoop and thestick is the diameter of the hoop I and the total length of the stick 2,including the head 3. The former should be just a little bit greaterthan the latter, allowing just a little bit of clearance when the stick2 is placed within the hoop l for packaging the toy for distribution andsale. With the placing of the stick 2 within and across the hoop l thetwo can be mounted flat on a backing sheet for both an attractive andutilitarian display. Exemplary dimensions are a 20 inch hoop diameterand a 19 inch stick length.

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within thescope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because manymodifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed inaccordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to beunderstood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A combined stick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and controlstick means for imparting motion to said hoop and for controling thedirection of travel of said hoop when in motion, said hoop having twosimilar upstanding relatively thin rims projecting out from the body ofsaid hoop along and at both of its side edges, said stick meanscomprising an elongated handle and a control head at one terminus ofsaid handle, said control head including two similar, relatively wide,spaced groove means therein for loosely mating with said rims forflexible control of said hoop by said stick means.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of said groovesmeans to the thickness of said rims is of the order of six-to-one.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said control head is generally in theshape of a cylinder, the groove means being wide flat-surfaced slotswhich are cut'out of the curved surface and the side end flat surfacesof the cylinder being used as impact surfaces similar in use to ahammer.

4. The toy of clam 3 wherein the distance between said rims is equal tothe distance between respective side edges of said flat surfaced slots.

5. The toy of claim 3 wherein the'length of said control stick means isalmost as great as the diameter of said hoop.

3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CETH ICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 834Dated February 13 1973 Inventor(s) Avion Paul Louis GeliS It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor 5 name is changed from "Avion Paul Lewis Gelis" to AvionPaul Louis Gelis Signed and sealed this 18th day of December 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents

1. A combined stick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and controlstick means for imparting motion to said hoop and for controling thedirection of travel of said hoop when in motion, said hoop having twosimilar upstanding relatively thin rims projecting out from the body ofsaid hoop along and at both of its side edges, said stick meanscomprising an elongated handle and a control head at one terminus ofsaid handle, said control head including two similar, relatively wide,spaced groove means therein for loosely mating with said rims forflexible control of said hoop by said stick means.
 1. A combinedstick-and-hoop toy comprising a rolling hoop and control stick means forimparting motion to said hoop and for controling the direction of travelof said hoop when in motion, said hoop having two similar upstandingrelatively thin rims projecting out from the body of said hoop along andat both of its side edges, said stick means comprising an elongatedhandle and a control head at one terminus of said handle, said controlhead including two similar, relatively wide, spaced groove means thereinfor loosely mating with said rims for flexible control of said hoop bysaid stick means.
 2. The toy of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the widthof said grooves means to the thickness of said rims is of the order ofsix-to-one.
 3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said control head is generallyin the shape of a cylinder, the groove means being wide flat-surfacedslots which are cut-out of the curved surface and the side end flatsurfaces of the cylinder being used as impact surfaces similar in use toa hammer.
 4. The toy of clam 3 wherein the distance between said rims isequal to the distance between respective side edges of said flatsurfaced slots.